Ukraine summer 2019

( Me with the kids of my camp in Ural’s’ke wearing traditional Ukraine clothes )

What’s GoCamp?

GoCamp is the biggest volunteer programme in Eastern Europe, where volunteers from the whole globe motivate kids to learn foreign languages and introduce the world to children from all over Ukraine.

I’ve been volunteering at the summer camp of the Novooleksandrivska secondary school, in a village of 400 inhabitants in the Mykolaiv region.

Day 1 – Thursday 08.08.2018

( bedrooms at the training camp, near Kyiv )

Flight from Milan Bergamo at 6:20 am with Ernest airlines. The once I arrived in the airport my manager from Gocamp was waiting me just out of the airport, the with Rad a Lithuanian girl, all of three we took a uber to the train station, were we waiting others volunteers and teachers.

Then arrive the gocamp bus, and drove us to the camp, one hour from Kyiv into the nature, there we had lunch all together then rest a bit then we played few games, then dinner and sleep.

Day 2 – Friday 09.08.2019

( volunteers at the training camp, near Kyiv )

Woke up at 8am, breakfast 8:30 all together at the Mensa then woke up with songs and dancing, later the presentar regarding gocamp what that’s and what they are doing, the goal of the organization.

Lunch all together at 1 pm, then conference regarding the Safety aids after few games all together and then the Pick nick in the garden.

After we had the country presentation and then we drink few beers and went to sleep.

Day 3 – Saturday 10.08.2019

( Volunteer at the Founders Monument in Kyiv )

Woke up at 9:30 after breakfast and I skipped the activity of the morning, the we have been dived by the topic of the group and then play a game all together, lunch at 1 pm and then other game all together.

At 5 pm we took the bus all together and we went to visit the founders monument and around Kiev and then back at 8 pm for the dinner, relax chatting around and sleep.

Day 4 – Sunday 11.08.2019

( Dinner once I arrived in my host family )

Woke up at 8 breakfast all together then at 10 am direction Kiev by car and then the bus at 12 am with other two volunteers but the get off before then me, and I arrive where the English teacher her sister, the headmaster and her husband they were waiting me, around 5 pm.

The they drive me to my host family at the Ural’s’ke village.

My host family is composed by grandmother Luba ex headmaster of the school in the village, grandfather Vladimir ex teacher, and granddaughter Anna but she will arrive just during my second week cause she live in Mykolaiv with her mum and dad.

So we had a dinner all together, grandma grandpa English teacher Olena and headmaster Natalia.

And after dinner I went straight to sleep.

Day 5 – Monday 12.08.2019

( summer camp in Uralskie Mykolaiv, with the English teacher and the director )

Woke up at 8 am breakfast and at 8:50 the English teacher Olena come to my house to pick me up, we went to the school, Ukraine presentation, the play games till 12:30 am the lunch in the school and I come back home.

Afternoon relax and photos around then dinner and with the grandma walk around the village she took me to the cemetery and she show me all the animals in the garden.

Then home and sleep.

Day 6 – Tuesday 13.08.2019

( My monkey team at the summer camp )

Woke up at 8 going to the school at 9 am, morning activity dancing and the build a transport for each team in the garden.

Then others game and lunch, after lunch play volleyball.

Then I went with the teacher to smoke and buy the coffe at the market next to the school and the owner is Luba my grandma.

After arrived Serghey that we went to visit the natural reserve with her sister, then we took her in Kalinovka the village next to ours.

Back home sleep a bit dinner, and an other neighbor come at home with the food and flowers for me.

Then around 9 arrived the kids and I walking in the village with them. Till the house of Serghey and then I went with him in Kalinovka with her friend Dasha, we drink few beers and then home.

Day 7 – Wednesday 14.08.2019

Woke up at 4 am, we took the bus to Mykolaiv from the village at 7 am we change the bus and then we arrived in Mykolaiv around 9 am more less.

The kids they went to the zoo and me and Olena and Natalia we went to the city center of Mykolaiv.

After we reach the kids and we had an ice cream all together and then I spent the noon with Serghey next to the river and we also did a cruise.

After around 6 pm we took the bus to come back to the village,dinner and then straight to sleep.

Day 8 – Thursday 15.08.2019

Woke up at 8, breakfast school, surprise holiday poppy, then birds project of the day and play volleyball with the kids till the lunch time.

Home sleep till 5 pm, dinner and then going with Anna to visit the neighbour Sveta and meet the mum of Anna that she was visiting her friend, so I spent the night with them and we eat again, and drink again.

Then Serghey comes to pick me up to go out in Kalinovka with his friend, but there was no body almost so we went to the other village to buy the beer and the we went to the lake next out village to drink the beer but was after mid night so kind of cold and we made a fire really nice atmosphere, and then he let me drive his car to come back home.

Day 9 – Friday 16.08.2019

( Uralskie village, street from my host family to the school )

Woke up at 9 am went to school at 10 am, topic of the day fish, so both of the group they made a fish. After I play volano and basketball then lunch and home sleep.

Woke up at 6 pm, prepare the bbq for have the dinner all together, Luba, Vova, Natalia, Olona her husband and Serghey. Then Anna come as well, and the cat make 6 puppies and sleep early fo the day after.

Day 10 – Saturday 17.08.2019

( Grass of Karabas pub, Mykolaiv )

Woke up at 9 am, Vova bring me and Serghey to Kalinovka to take the bus to Mykolaiv. We arrived around 1 pm we meet his friend had lunch all together and then he went to the hair dresser and later we leave our stuff at the house of his friend and we went for a walk to the river and we started to drink something at Karabas pub, then we went to the supermarket to eat something with an other friend, and then we wnet to the cowboy club where we meet other friend and we started to drink all together and then we moved to the Ushuaia club where we stayed till 4 am and then with the taxi me and Serghey we sleep in the house of one of his friend.

Day 11 – Sunday

( Black sea in Odessa )

Woke up at 10 am, go to take the bus to Odessa at 12 am, arrive in Odessa at 2 pm totally destroyed and tired, we walked to the beach and we stayed there to chill and relax till the sunsent.

After we walked till the train station to meet up an other friend we took the taxi to his house and we slept there, kinf of early because we were too tired from the night before.

Day 12 – Monday 19.08.2019

( Us in front of the Odessa National theater )

Woke up at 8 am, dress up, call taxi and go to the Main Street breakfast and walk around Odessa, then  at 2 pm we took the bus to Mykolaiv and then from Mykolaiv to Kalinovka and there the father of Serghey come to pick up us.

Dinner and then sleep immediately because I was too tired we walked too much around the city.

Day 13 – Tuesday 20.08.2019

( visiting Kalinovka school )

Woke up at 8 am, Serghey come to pick me up Serghey we went to the school take the games for the kids and then go to Kalinovka school till 12 am.

Then at 1 we went to and other school, and the at 5 we come back at home.

I went around the village with Anna and then dinner with Olona as well and the shower and sleep.

Day 14 – Wednesday 21.08.2019

( My team with the English teacher and the headmaster )

School with Anna, photos and the cube code game and then home sleep and at 5 pm goes around the village to take few photos with her and then dinner with Olena and then sleep.

Day 15 – Thursday 22.08.2019

( Me with Macha one of the kids of the camp, while they give me a lot of souvenirs )

Woke up at 8 am as usual, I had a breakfast with Anna then went went to the school together, the kids dance few song and Anna was taking pictures, later we went to the class we prepare the final presentation for the two team: Monkeys and Frogs. Then they had the presentation and the give me a lot of souvenirs.

After lunch I went home, sleep a bit and then at 5 pm the grandpa take me and Anna to shooting on the lake then we walked around and after we had a good bye dinner all together, Luba, Vova, Anna, Natalia and Serghey after dinner we went to Sveta and Jura house to drink one more beer and the sleep because I have to wake up early in the morning.

Day 16 – Friday 23.08.2019

( Ukrainian train )

Woke up at 4:45 am, say good bye to my host family’s and then Olena and Natalia ( English teacher and the headmaster ) with the cousin the come to pick me up and bring my in mykolaiv to the trai station.

At 9:10 am was my train and I arrived in Kiev at 7:20 pm a completely insane trip, I slept all the time and I was feel that great. Once I arrived in Kiev I called Uber and I’ve been immediately at the Hostel called Bellet really near to the Independence square. I feel a sleep and that’s it.

Day 17 – Saturday 24.08.2019

( Independence day )

Woke up early in the morning around 8:30 am, I walked to the Independence square the up to the Sofia Cathedral and the back to the hostel.

At 2 pm I took the metro to go to Diana a member of GoCamp to meet her for a shooting. It was till 5 pm more less an then me and Diana we go back to the center we meet other volunteer Tanya from Canada and Peter from Uk and others around then our four we had dinner at …together and then I went to sleep.

Day 18 – Sunday 25.08.2019

( Independence square )

I woke up around 9am feeling so bad so sick, so I decided to go to the pharmacy, the give me few medicines, then at 1:30 am I ad a lunch with Anastasia and Radville at … near the independence square and then I come back to the hostel to sleep all noon and night.

Day 19 – Monday 26.08.2019

( The street of my hostel, Ballet Hostel )

Woke up around 9 am, feeling so so sick, I tried to finish my thesis and do everything and then I went to McDonald’s to buy something to eat but I couldn’t even eat, so I just slept all noon and then all night.

Day 20 – Tuesday 27.08.2018

( Airport Kiev Zhulyany, with Ernest airlines )

Woke up at 9 am, do all the luggage prepare everything for the trip, then at 12:30 am meet Anastasia at McDonald’s in the independence square just few meters from my hostel and then after lunch I called Uber and I went to the airport, my flight was at 5:15 pm and I arrived in Milan at 7 pm the I took flixbus to Santhia and then my mum come to pick my up.